University News

President Sidney A. Ribeau recently launched the Students First Campaign.

Pictured: President Sidney A. Ribeau

Photo by Cesear

University News

President Sidney A. Ribeau will launch the Students First Campaign (SFC) this month, a multi-phased initiative designed to integrate the student-centered learning concept throughout all facets of the university in order to improve the overall “student experience” at Howard University.

The Goals:

To sustain a Student-centered learning environment
To provide a Framework for continuous quality improvement
To Cultivate a culture where the student is valued as one of our greatest resources

More information about the SFC is available on the Office of the President Web site at http://www.howard.edu/president/initiatives/sfc/

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The aging “Blue Light” emergency phone system is being replaced with a first-class system. Phase one commenced in early December with the installation of six new “Blue Light Emergency Phones” in the lower quadrangle between Fourth and Sixth Streets. This area covers the rear of Founders Library, Rankin Chapel and the Undergraduate Library, and the front of the Chemistry, Biology and Pharmacy Buildings, as well as the Early Learning Center located at College and Sixth Streets.

The project includes replacing, repositioning and adding a total of 84 new outdoor emergency phones strategically located across the main campus, satellite campuses and the hospital on the walkways, on or near the exteriors of all residence halls and most University buildings, and in or near parking areas.

The Blue Light Emergency Phones are simple to operate. With a touch of the “Emergency” button, a direct 9-1-1 emergency communication line is established and the user is connected to the Howard University Police Department Security Operations Center. Additionally, the lights above the unit will strobe to alert nearby patrolling officers that an emergency exists. The connection provides direct two-way communications to the police communications operator in the Security Operations Center. The operator will immediately dispatch a unit to that location.

For further information about the new system, please contact Lieutenant Brian Ellard, the project coordinator, at bellard@howard.edu.

The Showtime Marching Band will perform during the 56th Inaugural Parade on Tuesday. The parade along Pennsylvania Avenue will also include Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Grambling State University and Hampton University.

File photo

Department of Political Science Chairman Lorenzo Morris, Ph.D., the recipient of the Tocqueville-Fulbright Distinguished Chair Award, will be on a research sabbatical for six months in France. During this time he will serve as a lecturer and hold discussions on minorities and political groups at the University of Paris 8 Vincennes Saint-Denis. Morris plans to return to the University but not in the chairman role. Professor Daryl Harris, Ph.D., will serve as the interim chair for the Department of Political Science.

Four students have been designated for “priority” summer 2009 internships at the U.S. Department of State with one of them singled out as “distinguished” for a follow-on overseas internship in 2010. The students are: Courtney Stokes, French; Sean Mickens, French; Brianna Williams, Portuguese; and Peter Dwight Carr, Spanish and Arabic. It is likely that each of the students will select an internship within the State Department for this summer, with Stokes and Mickens choosing the African Bureau; Williams the Bureau of International Organizations; and Carr the Bureau of Economics, Energy, and Business Affairs. Carr was also designated “Cox Distinguished Intern,” with a summer to be spent abroad at an American Embassy in 2010 supported by the Una Chapman Cox Foundation.

The Howard University Gallery of Art's current exhibition, “Four Decades of Excellence: The Life and Work of Starmanda Bullock at Howard University,” has been extended through May 17 due to rave reviews and record visitor turnout. (The exhibit will be closed on January 19 and January 20; normal gallery hours will resume on January 21.) Hardback and soft cover exhibition catalogues are available for purchase in Childers Hall. Call Eileen Johnston at 202-806-7070 for more information.

Howard produces the most African-American doctorates in the United States, according to the National Opinion Research Center. The preliminary report, “Doctorate Recipients from United States Universities,” shows that from 2003-2007 Howard awarded 296 doctoral degrees to African Americans. The following rounded out the top five doctoral degree-granting institutions: Nova Southeastern University, University of Michigan, Walden University and the University of Maryland. Three other Historically Black Universities also ranked in the top 20: Clark Atlanta University, Morgan State University and Jackson State University.

The Howard University Police Department recently revamped the Campus Escort Service to improve the after-hours transportation for the Howard community, particularly students. The University has contracted current shuttle service provider International Limousine. The escort service will continue to be managed by the police department between the following hours: Monday – Friday, 12 a.m. – 7 a.m.; Saturday,* 2 a.m.–9 a.m.; Sunday,* 2 a.m. – 9 a.m. (* On Fridays and Saturdays the Shuttle Service runs until 3 a.m.)

To request Campus Escort Services, patrons should call 202-806-9271 and provide the dispatcher with the following:

First and last name
Student ID number
Current location and phone number
Desired destination

A service call will then be made to the Campus Escort driver, who will arrive as quickly as possible to complete the transport. Patrons are respectfully asked to provide the driver with their Howard identification card, which must be shown in order to receive services. For further information on the Campus Escort Services, please contact Lieutenant Brian Jones at bkjones@howard.edu.